Emily Zoladz | MLive.comA billboard along north bound U.S. 131 just south of Burton Street is part of the "Gay Christian? Yes!" campaign.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Organizers of a pro-gay Christian campaign launched yesterday in Grand Rapids said they are working to broaden conversation on the issue — a need, they said, that is illustrated in part by swift reaction from MLive.com readers.

Theresa McClellan, organizer of the “Gay Christian? Yes!” campaign for Gays In Faith Together, said GIFT plans to host community discussions in coming weeks and months about West Michigan congregations’ acceptance of gays in worship.

GIFT's campaign began with a billboard along northbound U.S. 131 near Burton Street, as well as a companion website, gaychristianyes.org.

“We are just opening so many doors, and that’s what’s so cool,” McClellan said Wednesday, “especially during this time of year, when people who are gay Christians feel like they can't step into their churches. Even seeing pastors engaging in the (MLive) comments, it’s just been remarkable.”

Commenters on both sides of the issue largely pointed to Biblical scripture to make their point, offering varying interpretations and countering one another’s arguments.

Whether GIFT’s campaign should lead to more conversation within West Michigan’s vast Christian community elicited wide response.

“Anyone who tries to change Biblical truths will be judged,” commenter conservativebabe wrote after rejecting the notion of a deeper dialogue. “Man does not need to improve on the moral standards God has determined for all time.”

But commenter bunga7 disagreed, adding a community conversation can give meaning to the issue at large.

“It’s so easy for people to talk about various sins and quote various scriptures back and forth,” bunga7 wrote. “It’s much more difficult to sit down face-to-face and have a true dialogue about the meaning of sexual orientation and religion.”

The Rev. Jim Lucas, GIFT’s chaplain, acknowledged the difficulty in starting a conversation among congregations that might not know where to begin or might not want to have that talk in the first place.

But, Lucas argued, the conversation has to start somewhere.

“Almost all pastors know they have members who are gay, and they care about their own members, but they’re not sure how to care for them,” Lucas said Wednesday. “Every congregation has some gay members, whether they realize it or not.”

Lucas said GIFT is working to facilitate panel discussions not only among West Michigan congregations, but between Christian parents with a gay son or daughter and the like.

“People cannot change their sexual orientation; it is who they are,” Lucas said. “It’s a message of invitation to the larger Christian community, to say as Christians, we really need to welcome everybody who wants to follow Jesus, and that includes those of us who are gay.”

Commenter teknia, one of the more ardent debaters on the comments board, said it will take mutual respect between the gay and religious communities for that conversation to be meaningful.

“No name calling or perjorative [sic] terms,” teknia wrote. “Respect doesn’t mean condone but it does mean a civil agreement. There also needs to be a respect of other people’s conscience. The sooner we can come to this agreement the better off we will all be.”